Each and every day we are subjected to toxic heavy metals. Some we can avoid and some we simply cannot. Those with Lyme disease, parasites and other co-infections will have a more difficult time clearing heavy metals from the body. These toxic metals fuel inflammation , suppress the immune system and hinder the body’s detoxification systems. This sets the perfect stage for Lyme and other chronic infections to take hold in a body that becomes very toxic and without defence.
Heavy metal symptoms and sources
Mercury Sources – Mercury is found in dental amalgam fillings. It is important to have them properly removed (read more about it in this article). Other sources are seafood, tattoos, insecticides, cosmetics, thimerosal in vaccines, household batteries, flouresent light bulbs, fabric softeners, broken mercury thermometers and environmentally, in our water supply.
Mercury Toxicity Symptoms. These include chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, obesity, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, heart failure and heart disease, muscle pain, muscle twitches, insomnia, digestive problems, depression and anxiety. Another serious effect of mercury toxicity is the inability to clear chronic infections. Mercury toxicity also produces a very acidic environment which is harmful to good gut flora; however, parasites and lyme love and flourish in this acidity.
Aluminum Sources – Aluminum can be found in aluminum foil and cans, antiperspirants, toothpaste, baking powder (as anti-caking agent), cookware, tobacco smoke, prescription and some over the counter medications.
Aluminum Toxicity Symptoms – Alzheimer’s Disease, anemia, blood disorders, colic, dental cavities, dementia, hypoparathyroidism, kidney dysfunction, liver dysfunction and Parkinson’s disease.
Lead Sources – Lead can be found in cigarette smoke, inks, pesticides, children’s toys, municipal water, paint, pottery, cosmetics, automotive exhaust, canned fruits and juices to name a few.
Lead Toxicity Symptoms – Decreased bone and muscle growth, poor muscle coordination, damage to the nervous system, kidneys, and/or hearing, speech and language problems, developmental delay, seizures and unconsciousness (in cases of extremely high lead levels).
Cadmium Sources – Cadmium can be found in cigarette smoke, some sodas, refined grains and cereals, fish, tap water, and various environmental and industrial contaminants.
Cadmium Toxicity Symptoms – Cancer, diabetes, arthritic syndromes, heart disease, mental illness, premature aging, hardening of the arteries, kidney disease and lung disease.
Dr. Lee Cowden had this to say,
“The worst culprits usually are the heavy metals, it takes the longest amount of time to get the heavy metals out of the body. The most common source for heavy metals that I see usually is mercury from the silver mercury amalgam fillings in people’s teeth. And usually, if they continue to have the silver mercury amalgams in their teeth then you can’t make any good progress on getting the mercury out of the body, because every time you chew you release more mercury back into the body. And mercury does stimulates the growth of Borrelia and several other microbes. And it also blocks the release of other toxins, including other metals and other pesticides and solvents, herbicides and so on.”
My Home and Personal Care Cleanup
Once I learned about heavy metals, I got rid of the following:
- Amalgam dental fillings (removed and replaced with composite fillings).
- Toxic home cleaning supplies.
- Baking soda containing aluminum (aluminum-free is available).
- Most cosmetics, lipsticks, body lotions, contact lens solutions containing thimerosal.
- Flu shot (contains thimerosal).
- Aluminum foil and pie plates.
- I never got that tattoo I always wanted.
- Stopped eating any foods that come in a can, box or package – not real food anyway.
- Smoking – quit years ago. I also gave up the occasional cigar that I liked to have.
- Stopped using ALL drugs and over the counter medications.
- Note The only thing I have used a few times per year are ibuprofen if I get a migraine. Now that I have been in remission since November, 2014, I only very rarely get a headache or migraine. Maybe one every six months.
Synthetic Chelation
Chelating heavy metals has become a widespread practice among those with Lyme disease and other chronic illnesses. A typical chelating agent binds to mercury, cadmium, arsenic, lead, copper, silver, tin, and others. There are several natural and synthetic chelating agents that have the ability to do this.
Synthetic chelating agents
- I.V. EDTA (EthyleneDiamine Tetra acetic Acid)
- Oral EDTA (Ethylene Diamine Tetra acetic Acid)
- Oral DMSA (Di Mercapto Succinic Acid)
- Oral DMPS (Di Mercapto-Propane Sulfonate)
- I.V. DMPS (Di Mercapto – Propane Sulfonate)
My holistic practitioner advised me to have immediate DMPS treatments following my amalgam removal. I drove straight from the dentist’s office to my doctor’s where I received the intravenous DMPS treatment. This was followed with a vitamin C intravenous drip. I had the worst reaction. I spent the next three weeks bedridden. My symptoms included continuous migraines, nausea, weakness, dizziness and extreme fatigue. I wasn’t sure if it was the DMPS treatment or amalgam removal that caused this debilitating wave of physical impairment. This was one of the worst periods of time I have had to endure over the last 10 years. I very gradually got better, and slowly was able to leave my bed and eventually start moving around. Since I wasn’t yet recovering as anticipated, the doctor ordered another DMPS treatment, feeling that I still must have had high levels of mercury in my system. I was extremely sick after the second treatment, and bedridden once again. A couple of months later, he wanted me to do a third treatment, and I refused. I decided I would have to use natural means to get the mercury and other toxins out. There was no way I was going through that again.
I had often read of others using EDTA and DMSA for heavy metal chelation, but was too traumatized by my experience with DMPS to experiment with these. Later on in my research, I discovered that DMPS also has a high affinity to copper and zinc, readily binding to them so they can be eliminated from the body. However, if the body is already low in copper, this binding and removal creates further problems. I know that I have been in a constant copper-deficient state as per hair tissue mineral analyses since 2011. I will never know for sure why I had such a terrible reaction to the DMPS. My belief is that the copper and other mineral deficiencies were likely made much worse after these treatments (see Nutrient Deficiencies and Chronic Infections on importance of adequate copper levels). I do think mineral levels should be tested before any type of chelation takes place. Minerals should be replaced immediately after these treatments but my doctor neglected this very important step.
The website www.dmpsbackfire.com is dedicated to those who have had serious adverse reactions to DMPS chelation treatments. It holds many testimonials that run similar to my own experience with this procedure.
Those of us with Lyme disease and other co-infections are very likely to be mineral and nutrient deficient (again, see Mineral Nutrient Deficiencies and Chronic Infections). The body actually functions better with toxic heavy metals than with no minerals at all. When in a mineral deficient state, it will grab onto toxic metals to take their place. This is why I decided to boost minerals that would gently push out and replace the toxic metals that my body no longer needs to function.
I used foods, mineral supplementation and sweating to naturally eliminate the heavy metals from my system. My next post will outline the foods and supplements that I used and continue to use today to this end. Even though I am now in remission, I am still mindful of heavy metals and how I must reduce my exposure to them.
Best of Health!
Brenda
Everything that I have done to recover my health is available for free on my blog. If you are interested in some extra coaching, please go to this page for nutritional therapy and hair analysis.
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I know the Infrared Sauna is also good for chelating Heavy Metals. Plus, Lyme and Cancer both hate the heat. The Infrared sauna penetrates deeper into the tissues to accomplish better detoxing and chelating. Did you ever try the Sauna Brenda? What have you heard? This is such an ongoing process that must continue to be done to remain healthy. I believe this is why my skin keeps going in and out of 30 shades of yellow, red, pale…dry, cracked, old looking. Juicing is so good for chelating and replenishing. !!!
Thanks so much for all your hard work. !!!
Stay Healthy :))
Hi Renee – I do think the infrared sauna is a good adjunctive therapy with Lyme and most co-infections. So good for the lymph as well. The reason I never bought one was that when I was diagnosed 3 years ago there weren’t any low emf infrared sauna’s available. I didn’t want to exchange one problem for another. I decided to come down to Mexico for longer periods of time. In this way I was able to take advantage of sunbathing for vitamin d, fresh fruit and vegetables, walking barefoot to ground out all of that negative energy and sweat continuously day and night. The warm weather allowed me to begin walking again. I was so cold intolerant due to being hypothyroid. Yes the juicing is loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes. It is just more in my nature to look to natural solutions. Are you taking any sea vegetables for iodine?
Research the sauna’s and check the reviews for a low emf output. Let us know what you find.
Best of Health!
Thanks, I will do that. We bought a Sunlighten Sauna recommended by Dr. Hyman. I am really sensitive to EMF’s but do not sense them at all when in the Sauna. Lately it is about the only place I can get warm. I believe its do to killing off these parasites with herbs and the change in weather here in Oregon. Don’t look forward to this cloud cover.
Yes, I take Dulse Kelp Powder Herb from Mountain Rose and 6 kelp tablets a day that you recommended. Plus Ioderal tabs and a drop of Lugol’s Iodine in my water if really bad. I think once these bugs are diminished I will be warm again. I never had a problem with my Throid before Lyme 2 years ago.
I will check the EMF’s on my Sauna and other to see what I found. I also found Mebendazole on Canada Pharmacy online. 100mg tabs I believe though generic called Veromx? How often did you take yours and were they chewable? All pharmacies used to carry them over the counter last year. Now they are off and difficult to get….imagine that?
It looks like you have a good sauna. I felt terribly cold the whole time that I had lyme and during treatment. Lyme lowers the body temperature. They can thrive better in a body that is at a lower temperature. I used the mebendazole for 6 days over the full moon each month. I took the 100mg tablets twice per day and chewed them.
The reason for your bad reaction to the chelation was because of redistribution of heavy metals. This is a common problem with IV chelation, or any chelation which does not account for the half-life of the chelating agent. The chelation agent forms bonds with the heavy metals, but many of those bonds weaken before the heavy metals are able to be eliminated from your body (especially true the sicker you are). So, the heavy metals end up redistributing back through your body, causing damage everywhere they go. The more poisoned you were with heavy metals and the less well your body is able to eliminate them, the worse your reaction will be.
The way around this is frequent low-dose chelation, à la the Andrew Cutler protocol. In my experience, this is the only safe way. You also should not chelate so soon following amalgam removal. As with many other people, you discovered this the hard way.
I’m new to your blog, so I’m not familiar with your whole story, but if this scared you off chelation I would encourage you to re-try it with Andrew Cutler’s protocol of frequent low-dosing. It’s a night and day difference.
Hi Mark
Thanks for your response. Everything you say makes perfect sense. Also that the DMPS pulls out other much needed minerals. My mineral levels were all very low. I have now recovered my health with foods, nutritional balancing(mineral supplementation), sweating and a few other things. It was truly one of the worst mistakes I have made on my healing journey. This is why I felt that it was important for me to share this with others.
Best of Health!
Was hoping you could give me your thoughts on this finding? Also, would it be possible to share your initial heavy metal results with your current heavy metal results? Just curious how the whole foods have progressed with outcome results involving metals.
Everyone I have known with Lyme has struggled with heavy metal detoxing. Some more than others if their detox pathways are not working. Like I have difficulties with all my SOD pathways which is a big problem for energy to detox.
Some have started out with oral chelation which did nothing and switched to IV for many treatments to follow. I sincerely believe this aspect of heavy metal chelation holds the key to health today.
What I am questioning though and need some feedback is what is the stuff coming from our skies? I have looked out my window on several occasions only to see a raining down of fine like dust. Dust which at first looked like rain but it was not raining nor cloudy out. These particles do not go straight down but at all angles to the ground. The only thing I can figure is that something is pulling them at different angles, different areas of polarity Im guessing?
Could these be known as CHEMTRAILS ? I do live outside a major airport near PDX, OR. It is so scary to see these things now in our air and unsure of how it affects our health. I know the Ropeworms are attached to Aluminum. Im almost sensing these worms are forming our of our gut lining to protect us but in turn this heavy metal build up is killing us from our own environment.
Not sure if eating healthy will be enough to someday balance out what is falling from the sky!! Where to live that has less hazard of heavy metals falling from the sky I don’t know. I do know if you combine heavy metal with mold you are in for lots of parasites !! I moved to a rainy, cold, damp, moldy atmosphere in OR and 6 months later when winter arose I was very sick.
What are your thoughts, God bless
Renee
Renee – I haven’t had my heavy metals tested since getting my amalgam fillings removed. I am back in Mexico and do not have the results with me. I did not place a big emphasis on heavy metals to regain my health. I focused first on healing my gut, eliminating chronic infections, increasing mineral levels and detoxification. I feel that there are many foods that will take care of heavy metals.
https://realfoodrebel.com/best-foods-for-chelating-heavy-metals/
I had a terrible time with detoxification. This began to change as the chronic infections were eliminated and mineral levels restored.
I know we are bombarded these days with chemtrails. I have chosen to believe that God has given us everything we need to battle whatever is polluting our air and waterways. Personally I think that the current diet is our biggest threat. I feel that a mineral rich diet, good homemade probiotic foods and a healthy lifestyle will restore poor health. At least this has been my experience. It takes time to restore a weakened and depleted body. Many claim one month for every year a person has been sick.
Mold is very dangerous. It is important to live in a mold free environment. That is why I spend so much time in a hot and dry Mexican climate.
Blessings!
Brenda, thanks for the reply and I agree 100%. Although, it is also nice to have a plan one our food becomes so laden with pesticides, plastics and metals from the environment. The soils in which our food is grown in now full of toxic chemicals which negate our minerals in our foods we eat.
I also am trusting God for a plan to return to health. I am feeling so much better on the Wahls Paleo Diet and my infection load decreasing with the Buhner Protocol for Lyme. We do not realize what is at the core of our health problems until cleaning up our diet, loosing weight, and replacing minerals.
I know you say you ground at the Beach but I strongly am going to recommend that you get a grounding sheet for your bed from http://www.earthing .com Make sure you also get the rod to place in the ground for the most natural negative ions. This way you will restore more of your body all night long while detoxing from the free radicals and immense amounts of heavy metals now in our world affecting our health. It comes with a documentary that is fascinating !!
To our Health, God Bless,
Renee
Thanks Renee- I am now grounding (walking) on the beach for at least one hour per day. I feel fantastic. I just keep getting better and better.
Hi Brenda …. Wondered if before / after introducing sea weed to your diet if you had your thyroid scores checked? Or did you treat by symptoms alone in regard to thyroid? Thanks again!!
Hi Snowgirl- I never relied on the standard testing for thyroid. I do hair tissue mineral analysis which compares the calcium/potassium ratio. My last test showed significant thyroid improvement.
My Symptoms of Reduced Thyroid Activity Included:
Tendency to gain weight
Cold hands and feet – tendency to feel cold
Lack of sweating
Fatigue
Dry skin and dry hair
Tendency towards constipation
Please read this article on why testing is often inaccurate.
http://bodyecology.com/articles/thyroid_tests_not_accurate.php
Blessings!
Hello Brenda,
This post about heavy metal detoxification is so very important. Through studies of Dr. Klinghardt, Christophee Shade and many others who know the basics of heavy metal detox, I am extremely careful with all detoxing attampts that may stir up heavy metals in the body.
I can’t be sure I have heavy metal toxicity problem but I feel deep inside I always have had. They pulled out all of my 15 amalgam fillings almost 20 years ago during two visits but back then, nobody knew how to do it properly. They just drilled them out…
iv EDTA is supposed to be a super safe option how to detox, yet when I tried only one application of it, next day almost killed me – extreme weakness, chills, headache and nausea. That confirmed my suspicion that I do have an issue and should be extra carefull.
Can I ask you if you found any value in a hair mineral analysis? I heard that people with compromised detox pathways will show no significant heavy metal burden in their sample.
I am quite reluctant to spend so much much money I don’t have to start with on tests that are not reliable.
Warm regards and many thanks for this brilliant blog.
Hi Marketa- I am not a fan of any of these synthetic chelating agents. All seem to pull essential minerals from the body. Most with chronic infections like Lyme will be very mineral deficient.
I am an advocate of the hair analysis and relied on it for my recovery. It really gives a clear picture of the mineral status in the tissues. I never really worried about heavy metals. My priority was bringing down infections, detoxification and raising mineral levels. My health was restored and there are many safe foods that will gently remove heavy metals from the body.
Best of Health!